Time and Again
by Chev 7
Summary: Everyone lost something the day she died, but Jade West lost so much more. She treated her like dirt for most of the time she knew her only to find out with her last words that even after everything she put her through, she cared for her. JORI fic with a bit of time travel and a happy ending. Eventually.
1. Chapter 1

Jade West let out a grumble as she pulled up to Tori Vega's house in the middle of the afternoon. The half-Latina hadn't been in school and Sikowitz had eventually been concerned after his attempts to phone the house had failed. Andre had said that her parents had left for the week and Trina had shown up a few minutes late at school insisting that Tori had been right behind her but she hadn't slept well the night before.

_Probably fell asleep with her headphones on._ Jade thought to herself as she got out of her car and pounded on the door. "Vega! Wake up!" She shouted at the house only to stop after pounding on the door after a moment when she realized that the door had been knocked open by her pounding.

It hadn't been locked and it hadn't been fully closed.

"Vega?" She called carefully as she pushed the door open the rest of her way with her foot. The door slowly creaked open and Jade's eyes widened as she saw what looked like a disaster zone. There were objects thrown across the floor and two of the windows in the kitchen looked as if something had been thrown into them. "Vega? What's going on here? This isn't funny." She hesitantly called out. It was then that she heard muffled sobbing coming from the kitchen, from behind the counter.

_No..._She thought as she rushed in and saw a sight that broke her heart into hundreds of pieces. She knew that she and Tori hadn't exactly been on the best of terms when they first met and especially now that they were...well, she didn't know what they were right now. But this...she wouldn't have wished this on her enemies.

Tori Vega was laying on the ground. Her clothes were ripped, her face was bruised and bloody and there were other bruise marks all over her body. She was curled up in the fetal position. "Vega...Oh my god." Jade whispered in horror as she reached down and hesitantly tried to touch her shoulder to get her attention only to have her recoil away from her in fear as she pulled herself deeper into the fetal position.

Jade immediately pulled out her phone and dialed 911. "It's okay Vega." She said in a soothing tone as she could manage as she gently stroked Tori's head trying to get her to realize that she wasn't going to be harmed. "It's okay...I called for help. You'll be okay." She took a closer look at Tori and noticed something that stopped her cold as she reached down. There was blood pooling out from under Tori. A lot of it.

_Oh my god_...She thought as she came to a sudden realization. Whoever had done this had wanted to make sure she didn't survive. "Tori...I know right now you're scared and you're hurt but you need to let me help you." She said in as gentle a tone as she could manage under the circumstances. "Please, you need to show me where you're bleeding from."

Tori looked up at her and shook her head. "I can't..." She whispered. She was most likely in extreme pain from the look on her face. "It hurts so bad, Jade." She sobbed weakly. Jade gently grabbed her hand and placed it around hers. "I need to see Tori." She said quietly. "Just...Just squeeze my hand when you feel pain but I need to see."

Tori nodded as tears continued to roll down her face and she squeezed Jade's hand with a strength the Goth didn't know she possessed as she managed to lay down straight and Jade's already shattered heart seemed to break again as she saw a large shard of glass sticking directly out of Tori's chest. Blood seemed to be pouring out of the wound. "Hold still Tori." She said quietly as she placed her hands on the edges of the wound trying to stop the bleeding.

"Dyke. You ruined my life." Tori whispered sadly. Jade looked at her sharply. "That's what he kept saying...He kept calling me a Dyke, kept saying I ruined his life."

"Tori." She said in a very soft tone. "Who did this to you?" She asked in the same soft, dangerous tone. It was rarely heard but when it was heard people knew to give Jade a wide berth and pray to god they weren't on the receiving end of it.

Tori began to cough up blood and her eyes began to close and Jade looked around helplessly as she tried to figure out what to do. She heard Tori whisper something and Jade leaned down close to her to try and hear what she was saying.

"Ryder...Ryder did this." She whispered. "Waited until Trina was gone and he beat me up." She said weakly. Jade..." She whispered as the life began to leave her body as Jade heard the sounds of nearby sirens.

"Hold on Tori..." She said as she continued to hold Tori's hand as she heard the sirens getting closer. Tori shook her head and let a weak sob escape. "No...need to tell you something." She whispered as she continued to weakly gasp for breath and she weakly grabbed at Jade's arm. "I always...always thought you were really pretty." She whispered as her eyes closed and her breathing stopped. Jade looked down at Tori's body in shock. She had learned two things about Tori Vega that she thought she never would have found out.

One that she was a lesbian.

And the second being that she was crushing on Jade of all people. _Me...after all that I put her through..._she thought numbly as she heard the sirens outside. She got to her feet and walked out the back door and stared at her phone with blank eyes as her shock was rapidly replaced with blind rage.

She called up someone she knew she could count on to give her the information she wanted. She waited a moment until she heard the familiar voice of her ex-boyfriend Beck answer. _"Hello?"_

"Is Ryder at school today?" She demanded.

"_Jade? Where are you? Find out where Tori is?"_ He asked carefully. He could hear the anger in her voice.

"Just tell me if Ryder is at school today." She said in the soft dangerous tone that people knew to avoid at all costs.

"_Yeah. He got here around noon. He told Sikowitz he had an appointment. Jade, what's going on?"_

Jade turned off the phone and immediately walked over to her car and climbed inside. She could feel tears of rage and sorrow and despair threatening to overwhelm her as she headed back to the school. She wanted to cry which was a rare sight but she couldn't. She looked down at her phone which was starting to ring again but she muted it as she headed back to the school. It was a ten minute drive but it felt like an hour to Jade as she finally stopped her car in the middle of the parking lot and stormed into the school.

It was almost time for the classes to be dismissed and Jade narrowed her eyes as she scanned the large groups of students leaving the school until she finally located her target trying to walk away from one of the larger groups. He smiled and waved at his friends as he headed for his car and didn't notice as Jade practically ran at him. He finally heard the sound of her boots hitting the ground and he turned around just in time to see the enraged look on Jade's face and the sight of her fist heading for his face.

"YOU BASTARD!" She screamed as her fist collided with his nose and a loud cracking sound was heard as he hit the ground with a thud. She brought her fists down on his face again and again as she continued screaming obscenities at him as the tears she had been holding back finally began to run down her face.

Cat and Andre watched in shock from the entrance of the school as Jade went full out on Ryder. They had seen Jade angry before but they had never seen her like this. She was screaming and yelling at the downed form of Ryder. "YOU KILLED HER!" She screamed over and over. "I'LL KILLL YOU!" She screamed as she brought her fist down on Ryder's body over and over again as she continued screaming and crying. Cat and Andre had managed to reach the scene of the one sided fight and tried to pull Jade off of Ryder.

"Jade!" Andre shouted as she fought to get away from Andre and Cat and continue beating the hell out of Ryder. "What he hell?!" Sure, neither of them were Ryder's biggest fans but Jade had done a number on him and they wanted to know why.

"HE KILLED TORI!" Jade screamed at the top of her lungs. Cat and Andre both were shocked enough by her accusation and the way that Ryder was glaring at Jade that they loosened the grip enough that Jade managed to get loose once again and she kicked Ryder in the side of his head as hard as she could and then unleashed another series of indiscriminate punches.

"W-What?!" Cat asked in a shocked tone as Andre once again managed to restrain Jade who was openly sobbing.

"I...I went to her house." Jade whispered hoarsely as she continued to sob. "She was beaten and she was bleeding and she had a piece of glass sticking out of her chest. And...And she told me who did it." She turned back to Ryder and snarled angrily as the rage she was feeling returned. "HE KILLED HER!" She screamed over and over as Lane and Sikowitz ran over to the scene of the fight to see a sobbing Cat and an enraged Jade who was fighting to get away from Andre and back to beating up Ryder.

Lane stared down at Ryder and saw his bloodied face and bruised body. He was barely conscious and Jade was still fighting to get at him. A crowd was beginning to gather around the scene including Trina and Beck. The two had horrified looks on their faces as they saw Jade and Cat sobbing and the somber look on Lane's face.

Trina could only whisper a question. "Is it true?" She asked as tears began to run down her face and Beck stared at Ryder in shock. Lane took a deep breath and nodded. "We...I...The authorities just called the school. Tori was found...found..." Lane couldn't finish the sentence. Trina burst into tears and began sobbing into Sikowitz's shirt Lane tried to get Jade away from Andre. Jade just kept sobbing as she nearly collapsed after Andre let her go. The only reason she was able to stay up was because Lane was holding her up.

Lane looked down at the barely conscious form of Ryder and looked over at Sikowitz as he gently let Jade sit on her knees on the ground. "We need to get an ambulance here." He said simply as he pulled out his phone and dialed 911.

Beck gently put his hands on Jade's shoulders as she continued crying along with the others.


	2. Chapter 2

**First of all, I would like to thank the following people for their reviews.**

**ScottyBgood**

**Invader Johnny.**

**And I would like to thank the following people for inspiring me with their own Jori stories. Almost all of them brought tears to my eyes.**

**Quitting Time**

**FucktheReaper**

**Invader Johnny**

**John Ryan**

**A few days later**

"My name is Detective Vega." The man sitting across from the bruised and battered Ryder Daniels said quietly as he looked down at the notes that had been gathered about what Ryder had done. "And before you ask, yes. I'm related to the woman who's life you ended." He looked up and stared at Ryder with undisguised hatred. "I'm her father. And I called in _a lot_ of favors to make sure that I was the one who got to talk to you."

Ryder was understandably nervous as he looked down to avoid making eye contact. He hadn't shown any remorse for what he had done to Tori but he was nervous that he was in a room with the cop father of the girl he had beaten and left for dead.

Vega placed his hands on the table and took a deep breath as he tried to gain his composure. "Do you have _any_ idea what you did to our family?" He asked quietly. "My wife, Holly hasn't been able to stop crying since you did what you did. My daughter Trina hasn't come out of her room since she got home the day her sister died. I can hear her crying and screaming every day."

Ryder shuffled his feet and kept looking down, avoiding eye contact.

"You tore my family apart." He said as he fought back tears. "And Tori's friends aren't doing any better.

You broke the hearts of a lot of people. And Jade West told me she was there for Tori's last words. She told her what you called her, what you did to my daughter." He took another deep breath as he leaned in close to Ryder who tried to back away but couldn't.

"I don't care who my daughter preferred to date. Boy, Girl. It didn't matter to me. My wife and I loved her with all our heart and so did her sister. So did her friends." He said quietly. "You beat my daughter...you stabbed her with a piece of glass and left her to die alone and scared when her family was gone. You are nothing but slime, a coward who waited until she was alone to..." Detective Vega couldn't finish, it was just too painful for him.

Ryder muttered something under his breath and Detective Vega looked up at him sharply. He had distinctly heard a vulgar slur.

"What was that?" he asked quietly.

"Tori screwed up my life!" Ryder shouted angrily. "Do you know what she did?! She made it impossible for me to find a girl! That stupid Dyk-"

Ryder wasn't able to finish the vulgar slur as Vega grabbed him by the collar with one hand and brought himself nose to nose with him.

"If you _ever_ call my daughter that again...I swear there won't be enough officers in the world to keep you safe from me." He said in a soft dangerous tone that almost made Ryder faint. Vega slammed him back down on his chair and gritted his teeth. "You...You...show absolutely no remorse for what you did. You still think it's Tori's fault that you screwed up your life when it was your fault. I'm going to let you in on a little secret young man."

Vega smiled a predatory smile that made Ryder's blood turn to ice.

"I turned off the security cameras. Right now, it's just you and me." Vega said quietly. "My partner considered my daughter part of his family and he's the one making sure that n one interrupts us."

"Y-You can't do anything. You have to follow regulations and rules." Ryder said in a voice with a tone that said otherwise.

"Rules?" Vega asked in a voice tinged with disbelief. "You take my youngest daughter from me and you think I give a _damn_ about the rules?" He said softly. "I could care less about the rules and regulations that I swore to follow right now. I don't care about my job right now, all I care about is making you hurt as much as you hurt me, my family and Tori's friends."

It was then that Ryder noticed something that caused him to start shaking with fear. Detective Vega had brought his gun in the interrogation room with him. He noticed Ryder's stare and shook his head with a savage grin. "I wouldn't waste a bullet on you." He said. "I won't sink to your level."

Ryder sighed in relief but nearly jumped out of his seat when Detective Vega slammed his hands down on the table with enough force to nearly flip the table over. He continued staring at Ryder with undisguised hatred and motioned towards the door. "This isn't an interrogation but rest assured, there is an ongoing investigation concerning what you did. You want my opinion, whatever you get is too good for you." He said quietly. "This is simply a father telling you what you did to his family and Tori's friends. How you destroyed so many people's lives with your actions."

He looked away and continued trying to fight back tears. "There's a surprise waiting for you outside. I made sure no one would around except for a few friends. You are free to go." He said sarcastically. Ryder nearly jumped out out his chair in his haste to make it to the door but once he opened it he saw something that made him stop cold.

Jade was standing outside the door. As were Beck, Andre, Cat and Robbie. They were all staring at him with undisguised hatred except for Cat who was sobbing uncontrollably into her hands as Robbie gently patted her on the back.

"You took Tori away from us. From her family." Beck said quietly. Andre didn't say a world but just stared at him with disgust and hatred in his eyes. Robbie just continued comforting Cat but he shot Ryder a look that was pure anguish and pain. As Ryder walked past them he heard a voice that he hoped he would never hear again.

"Nothing to say?" Jade asked quietly as he walked past without saying a word. "Yeah. I thought as much. I doubt you'd be able to take on someone who you didn't take by surprise. But I'm going to give you something that you didn't give Tori." She said quietly as she stepped in front of him with her hands balled into fists and her eyes blazing with hatred.

"I'm giving you a warning." She whispered. "I _will_ be coming for you. And that's not a threat. That's a promise."

Ryder looked up at her and saw the look in her eyes and he shuddered. He picked up the pace and sprinted down the hallway towards the entrance to the police station.

Andre turned to look at Jade with a questioning look in his eyes. She turned to look at him and shook her head to the unspoken question.

"I wasn't bluffing." She said quietly as she walked away.


	3. Chapter 3

**Once again, Thanks to Invader Johnny and ScottyBgood for reviewing!**

**Three days later**

"I would like to thank you all for coming to our daughter's fune-." Holly Vega said through puffy red eyes as her voice caught in her throat before she tried to speak again as she tried to get the words out. Her husband placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. "Funeral." She manged to finish. "I...She...She would be so happy to know that so many people cared about her. That so many people would show up to pay their final respects to her."

Trina and the rest of Tori's close friends were sitting in the front pew of the church that was almost packed to the brim with friends and family and the students and teachers of Hollywood arts. Trina was staring blankly into space.

"What happened to our youngest daughter...will haunt us for the rest of our lives. There will always be a hole in our hearts that will never...never heal." Holly said as she began to sob and her husband gently helped her sit down on one of the provided chairs. She continued sobbing as David Vega took the stand and looked down at the coffin that contained his daughter's body and shuddered.

"Those of you...those of you who knew Tori, if you want to come up to the front and talk about her are more then welcome to." He said simply as he sat down next to his sobbing wife and buried his head in his hands.

Many students and teachers came to the front of the church to tell their stories about Tori and how she had impacted their lives. Lane came forward to tell everyone from Hollywood arts that grief counselors would be available for anyone who needed them and Sikowitz told everyone about the first time he had met her, how she had blossomed.

Beck headed for the front of the church and cleared his throat as he prepared to speak.

"My name is Beck Oliver." He said quietly. "When I first met Tori...she accidentally spilled something on me...I don't even remember what is was." He said quietly. "She was so nervous her first day...but as time went by, she kept getting more and more confident and happier and happier. He paused as he fought back tears "She was always smiling. Almost every time I saw her, she was happy with that grin on her face. Without her...everything is going to be a bit darker." He said quietly as he sat down.

Jade looked at the rest of Tori's friends and saw that Andre had his head buried in his hands. Everyone else just couldn't speak so she made the decision to step up to the front of the church to speak.

"My name is Jade West. And I...I'm sorry." She said as she turned to look at Holly and David Vega and then down at Trina. "When Tori first came to Hollywood arts...I...I was mean to her. Cruel to her. Nearly all the time. But she never sank to my level. She was always nice to me...always kind to me. She helped me out with so many problems and eventually, I realized something. She was my friend. She was...she was one of my best friends and I didn't realize it until...until it was too late."

Jade took a deep breath and grabbed a nearby tissue and wiped the tears from her eyes. "I...I was the one who found her." She said quietly. "I saw her. I saw what happened to her and there is no way she could have ever deserved what happened to her. I'm so sorry..." She said as she broke down and Beck gently escorted her back to the pew.

More and more people came forward to talk and offer condolences and support to the family with encouraging words and prayers. Holly and David would thank them but the look of despair in their eyes never faded. Jade thought it would always be there. And Trina...Trina just stared blankly ahead, seemingly not hearing anything or feeling the comforting hugs that people kept giving her.

After nearly an hour of singing and prayers and comforting hugs, the service was over and the hardest part would begin. Her friends knew that this next part would be more difficult. It would most likely be the hardest thing they would ever have to do.

Cat, Jade, Andre and Beck each took up positions at the front and end of the coffin and gently lifted it up. It was heavy and they could barely hold it but they owed their friend this. They carried the coffin towards the door and stopped for a moment as Robbie opened the door and held it to the side for them as they walked out and walked across the yard to the freshly dug grave. The mourners followed them out and gathered around the grave but left an open path for them to reach the grave.

_I can't deal with this..._Jade thought as they slowly lowered the coffin down into the grave. _I failed her. I failed her. _She thought as she heard the sobs of the people all around her.

_I may have failed her. But I can make the bastard pay. I owe her that much._ She thought as she numbly watched as the coffin softly hit the bottom of the grave and she heard Cat let out a sob.

_I'll make him pay_

**Hours later**

Ryder Daniels sat alone in the holding cell. He knew that he was going to be stuck here until his trial began but despite his previous conversation with Detective Vega and Tori's friends, he felt much safer here then he did outside. They had picked him up shortly after he had left the station after his and Detective Vega's "conversation."

He didn't care that he had taken Tori's life. She deserved what she had gotten as far as he was concerned. He shuddered as he remembered Jade's words to him.

"_I will be coming for you."_

He knew he was safe from her as long as he was here. But if he was outside he knew Jade wouldn't stop until she got him. As someone who had gone to Hollywood arts, he had witnessed what she was capable of.

_It's okay...I'm safe as long as I'm here, _he kept telling himself as he heard the sounds of footsteps heading his way. He looked up and saw one of the officers heading his way with a figure with a hood over his or her face. "You've got company, Ryder." The officer said shortly. The officer was friends with Detective Vega and he looked at Ryder with disgust.

The officer pushed the figure into the cell and locked the door behind him. Ryder looked over at the figure who was standing near the door.

"Why were you picked up?" He asked simply as he sat down.

"Caught me with a few beers out in public." The figure said with a distinctly female voice that was a bit low. Ryder smiled. They'd thrown her in with a girl. He had nothing to fear from this one. Maybe he could charm her a bit.

"So, What' you're name?" he asked in his most charming voice.

The woman threw back her hood to reveal an angry goth face. Her makeup was smeared by tears and her eyes blazed with hatred. "Jade West." She said in a voice that held no mercy.

"J-Jade?! How did you get in here?!" He whispered in horror as she slowly advanced on him. He was so terrified that his voice was cracking. She advanced on him and grabbed him by the front of his shirt.

She stared at him with eyes devoid of mercy that continued to blaze with hatred. "I told you I'd be coming for you, Ryder." She said quietly as he desperately tried to escape her grip.

Jade pulled him closer to her until they were nose to nose. "What did you call her when you were beating her?" She asked softly in a voice that terrified him to no end.

"P-Please! Don't!"

"WHAT DID YOU CALL HER?!" Jade screamed in his face.

"A-A Dyke! I called her a Dyke!" Ryder whispered in terror as Jade smiled darkly and threw him against the cell bars.

"She wasn't a Dyke." Jade said quietly as she backed Ryder into a corner and loomed over him. "She was someone who will _always_ be better then you." Jade had the same angry smile on her face as she continued staring down at Ryder. "You know what she told me...what her last words were?" She asked quietly.

Ryder shook his head in pure terror.

"She said she thought I was really pretty." Jade said quietly as her voice caught for a moment. "And you know what, I know she meant it. But you...you hurt her. And then you took her away from me...from all of us."

"Please Jade...D-Don't."

Jade smiled a very bitter smile. "Don't do what? Hurt you? Do what you did to Tori? My friends didn't want to sink to your level. They don't want to hurt you like you hurt her. But guess what? I don't have much of an issue with it." She said softly as Ryder let out a weak whimper.

Another officer walked past the cell and looked at Jade who froze for a moment. But as the officer turned to look at Jade, she realized that she recognized him from the other day. It was Detective Vega's partner. The one who had made sure Detective Vega was able to talk to Ryder without being interrupted.

"Don't leave too many marks," was the only thing he said as he passed by and closed the door behind him.

Jade looked down at Ryder.

"No promises."


	4. Chapter 4

**Here is chapter 4. Once again, thanks go out to Invader Johnny, ScottyBgood, Dav7788 and Valley-10 for the reviews. I apologize if I missed anyone.**

**Three days later**

It had been nearly three full days since Tori had been laid to rest and the majority of the student body had gone on with it's business. But there was an unmistakable sense of sadness that had seemed to permeate the school since the funeral. The students of Hollywood arts had seemed to smile and laugh less since Tori had been buried. But for her closest friends and her sister, the loss was being taken much harder.

Trina Vega hadn't been to school since she had found out. One of the students who had brought her homework to the Vega household had said that her parents wouldn't let anyone see her and that an ambulance had been seen outside the house as he had arrived to drop off the homework.

Beck took a deep breath as he passed by the locker that had once been Tori's. The school had decided to keep it the way it was, a little reminder of what Tori Vega had accomplished and how she had made it shine.

As he walked past the lockers he saw Andre staring numbly into his open locker, seemingly oblivious to the world. Beck quietly walked up to him and gently placed his hand on his shoulder. "Hey." He said simply.

It took Andre a moment to realize that someone was speaking to him. He didn't turn around though, he just kept staring into his locker. "I miss her so much, Beck." He said quietly. "And this is my fault. I was rehearsing a new song with her the night before...before it happened. I shouldn't have stayed so late."

"It's not your fault, Andre." Beck said firmly. "It's Ryder's fault for doing what he did. No one thought he would do something like this." Andre shook his head and tears ran down his face. "No...She wanted to quit for the night but I told her we should keep practicing. It's my fault...It's all my fault." He muttered as he stared into his locker.

"Andre." Beck said carefully as he pulled him away from his locker. "You need to go talk to one of the grief counselors." he said in a firm but gentle voice "If not for me or yourself then for Tori. She wouldn't want to see you like this. She wouldn't want you to blame yourself for something that you had no control over. Come on, I'll walk you over to Lane's office and he can set up an appointment for you to talk to someone."

"Thanks." Andre muttered as they walked towards Lane's office. As they walked past the Janitor's closer closest to the lockers, Beck thought he heard soft sobbing coming from nearby. "Go talk to Lane." He said gently. "I need to check something." Andre nodded and continued on his way as Beck tried to open the door only to find it locked. "Hello?" He said as he tried to open the door again with no luck. "Who's in there?"

"Go away, Beck." Cat Valentine said quietly from behind the door. She let out a little cry of pain that caused Beck's eyes to widen in fear. "Cat! Open the door!"

"No!" She sobbed back. Beck took a deep breath and threw himself at the door. It held the first time but the second time he threw himself against it he managed to force it open. He saw Cat trying to pull down the sleeves of her shirt and he noticed that there was something red staining the fabric from underneath. She was trying to hide something in her hand,

"Cat, what did you do?" He asked fearfully. Cat shook her head. "Cat, show me what you've got in your hand." Beck said urgently. Cat shook her head rapidly. "No. You'll yell at me." She muttered as tears rolled down her face. "I won't yell at you. I promise. Just show me what's in your hand."

Cat sobbed quietly as she opened her hand and Beck saw a knife. He didn't know where she had gotten it from but there was blood on it. He gently held Cat's hand with one hand and gently grabbed the knife with the other and placed it on the floor. "Cat, how badly did you cut yourself?" He asked carefully. She tried to pull away from him but couldn't. "Please Cat, show me where you cut yourself."

Cat looked up at him sadly and pulled her sleeve up to reveal that her arm had marks all over it. Some were healed, others weren't but there was one near the top of her arm that was very recent and was still bleeding. Beck looked around and saw a rag on the table and wrapped it around the bleeding part of her arm as he gently pulled her to her feet. "Come on, we need to take you to the nurse." Cat shook her head. "No...I don't want to go." She whimpered as she tried to stay on the floor. "Cat, this isn't up for debate. I'm taking you to see the nurse. You need to get these looked at."

"NO!" Cat screamed.

Beck was shocked the rage and anger in her voice. So much that he let go of her arm and stepped back. "Cat. I know you miss her but hurting yourself isn't going to help!"

Cat whimpered as she began sobbing into her hands. "I-I miss her. I could talk to her about things. Things I can't talk to you or the others about. She kept helping me."

Beck sat down next to her and gently placed his hand on Cat's shoulder. "What Cat? What could you talk to Tori about?" He asked gently. Cat shook her head furiously. "I can't tell you. You'll make fun of me. You'll tell everyone."

"Cat. Look at me." Beck said gently. Cat kept looking down at the ground and continued sobbing. "Please Cat, look at me." She finally looked up at him and Beck pulled her into a hug. "I swear, I won't make fun of you. I swear I won't tell anyone." He said quietly.

Cat sobbed heavily as she tried to get the words out. They finally came out as a whisper "I-I like girls." She whispered as she let out a shuddering breath. "I told my d-dad and he yelled at me. Told me I wasn't normal."

Beck looked down at her but he was careful not to show his shock. Cat was trusting him with this and he wouldn't betray that trust so he continued to listen.

"He...He threw me out of the house that night." Cat whimpered. "I tried to apologize but he wouldn't let me back in. I didn't know where to go but...but Tori found me. She saw me crying on the street and let me stay at her house."

"She kept asking me why I was crying. I...I told her everything." She looked up at Beck and sobbed heavily. For a few moments she couldn't continue. Beck placed his hand on her back.

"It's okay, Cat. Take all the time you need." He said gently. Cat just kept sobbing for a few more minutes before she managed to speak again. "S-She told me I wasn't alone." Cat whispered. "That she liked girls...that she liked someone here at the school."

"You don't have to tell me who she liked, Cat." Beck said quietly. "Just say what you need to say." Cat took a deep breath. "She told...She told me that we can't just decide if we like guys or girls. That it was okay. That there was nothing wrong with me."

"What happened next?"

"She...called my mom and told her to come over to her house. M-My mom showed up and Tori helped me tell her."

"What did your mom say?" Beck asked in the same gentle tone.

"S-She hugged me. She told me that she loved me. And then she called my dad and yelled at him. He left after she yelled at him." Cat whispered as she buried her head in her hand. "I ruined everything. I tore my family apart." She whimpered as Beck continued hugging her. "You didn't do it Cat." he whispered. "Everything's going to be okay."

Cat shook her head. "No...No it won't be okay." She cried.

Beck gently managed to pull her to her feet and pressed the rag against her arm again as he held her against him as her sobbing intensified. Beck opened the door with his free hand and saw a teacher walking a short distance away. The teacher turned around at the sound of Cat's sobbing and her eyes widened as she saw the rag beginning to turn red.

"Get the nurse." Beck whispered as he continued holding Cat. The teacher nodded and ran off. Beck looked down at Cat as he heard her say something about Jade. He didn't catch most of what she had said but he did hear Jade's name.

"What about Jade?" He asked quietly. Cat looked up at him and shook her head. "You'll get mad."

"I won't get mad. I promise."

Cat sobbed again.

"Tori...Tori liked someone at the school." She cried. "This person was really mean to her but she still liked her."

"You don't have to tell me, Cat." He said as the teacher returned with a nurse right behind her.

"Tori liked Jade." Cat whispered sadly as the nurse and teacher approached and gently pulled her away from Beck who stared at her in shock.


	5. Chapter 5

**Thank you Invader Johnny, Dave7788, Takogirl and ScottyBgood for the reviews!**

As lunch approached, Beck wandered around the school in a bit of a daze. He knew that he couldn't betray Cat's trust but at the same time, he had seen how Jade had been acting since she had beaten the hell out of Ryder the day she had found Tori's body.

Since that day, it was almost like she had withdrawn into herself when she was at school. But Beck had heard the rumors. A few days ago, Jade had apparently been picked up for being found in possession of alcohol while underage. Coincidentally, Ryder had been beaten to within an inch of his life while being held in custody the same night according to the rumors. Beck knew that Jade wasn't stupid enough to get caught with something like that. She had wanted to get caught because she had wanted to get to Ryder.

_She's going to end up hurting herself_. Beck thought as he sat down at one of the tables and shook his head. _If she keeps lashing out like this something bad will happen to her. She needs help...we all need help._

Beck looked around and saw Robbie sitting at a table nearby. What concerned Beck was the apparent lack of Rex. Robbie was just staring blankly down at his food. As Beck got up and walked over he placed his hand on Robbie's shoulder.

"Hey." Beck said simply as he sat down next to him. Robbie didn't look up from his food and didn't speak for a few moments. "I feel horrible." He finally said as he looked up from his food. "I...I remember when I did that stupid Robarazzi thing on the slap. I..." He couldn't finish as he began to sob. "I betrayed her trust." He whispered between sobs. "She was nice to me. She was always nice to me and I...I did that to her."

Beck tried to get a word in but Robbie just kept crying and crying. "I hate myself." He muttered over and over again. Beck turned around for a moment and looked in the garbage and saw Robbie's puppet Rex laying in the garbage. Beck turned to look at Robbie who was still muttering to himself.

"Why did you throw Rex in the garbage?" He asked gently as Robbie finally looked up at him. "Because he's just a stupid puppet." He muttered. "He's not real and I was stupid to listen to him when I thought he was more than a puppet."

Robbie took a look at the garbage and shook his head. "Stupid puppet." He muttered as he looked back up at Beck. "I can't forgive myself. I don't I'll ever be able to."

"It's going to be okay." Beck said quietly as he placed his hand on Robbie's shoulder. "I told Andre to go talk to one of the grief counselors earlier, I think you should as well."

Robbie looked back down at his food. "Maybe." He said simply as Beck stood up. "Promise me that you'll talk to one of them Robbie, Everyone is having trouble dealing with this but the counselors are here to help."

Robbie didn't look up but his voice became slightly bitter. "If that's true then why haven't you talked to one of them yet?" He muttered. Beck looked at him sharply but couldn't come up with an answer. "Just...Just please talk to one of them, alright Robbie?"

Robbie kept looking down. "Fine."

Beck walked away and continued walking around the school as he found his thoughts returning to what Cat had told him.

"_Tori liked Jade."_

He still remembered his and Jade's breakup and he lowered his head in shame as he thought back to what he had done.

"_I don't understand why! I thought we were happy!" He had shouted at Jade who was looking down at her feet. It was one of the few times in her life that she actually looked vulnerable. She had tears running down her face. "I'm sorry, Beck! I...I don't know why! It doesn't feel right anymore! I don't think it ever felt right! Please...I'm sorry but I can't keep doing this." She whispered. _

_Beck paced back in forth in front of her and shook his head. "We've been together for years! And that's all you can say?! That it never felt right? What does that even mean?!_

_Jade buried her head into her hands and sobbed. "I'm sorry Beck! I don't know what it means! Every time we kissed, every time we went out on dates...It didn't feel right. That's the only way I can describe it!"_

_Beck simply stared at her for a moment and had angrily stormed off. He had left the school in the middle of the day and had tried to get his composure back. It had taken him a few weeks but he had managed to stop being angry at Jade and instead had attempted to try and be friends with her again._

He stopped for a moment and leaned against one of the lockers and tried to keep calm but he was rapidly losing it. He had treated her like crap when even she didn't know what she was feeling and now he was trying to help everyone else when even he wasn't that emotionally stable right now. He tried to gather his composure but it was getting harder and harder to do so.

He was forced to put his own feelings to the back of his mind for the moment as he heard the sound of something that suspiciously sounded like metal being struck over and over and angry sobbing.

"...Make it stop!" The voice screamed over and over again, gradually losing it's intensity and then just when it seemed that the voice was done screaming it would echo down the hall again. Beck already knew what he would see when he came around the corner but it didn't make it any easier on him. He watched as Jade continued to pummel the lockers that surrounded Tori's, Jade's hands were bruised and her knuckles were bleeding badly from where they had impacted with the metal of the lockers. She just wouldn't stop sobbing and screaming.

"Jade?" He said carefully. "Jade, it's me." He said as he came up behind her and placed his hand on her shoulder. The angry goth whirled around and stared at Beck with tear stained eyes. "Go...Just go away!" She screamed.

"No." Beck said quietly. "Jade...I need to talk to you. Now."

"I said leave! Now!"

"No." Beck said in the same quiet tone. "Jade...I talked to...to someone earlier and I think that there is something that you need to know. Just give me five minutes." He said gently as he tried to sit her down but she wouldn't. She just kept staring at him with the rage and despair still evident in her eyes.

"Jade. I...There's something you don't know about Tori."

Jade laughed bitterly. "I was there for her last words. I learned a lot about her before..before she died." Her voice caught in her throat. "She told me she thought I was pretty." She said quietly as she slid down to the ground. "She...He kept calling her a dyke. Over and over again." She looked down at her fists and smiled darkly as she thought back to how she had made Ryder pay for what he had done to Tori.

"Jade...I. Tori was talking to someone a few days before she...died." He said hesitantly. "She..." Beck tried to control the tone of his voice and tried to keep himself from crying. "She really liked you Jade. I mean, she really liked you. She didn't just think that you were pretty, She..." Beck couldn't finish the sentence as Jade stared down at him in shock.

"She...She liked me?" Jade whispered.

"Yeah." Beck said quietly.

Jade got back to her feet and began walking down the hallway as she headed for the parking lot. Beck followed her and was hard pressed to keep up the pace as Jade picked up speed.

"Where are you going?" he asked carefully.

"Away." Jade said quietly as she reached her car and slammed the door shut behind her. Beck could only watch as Jade drove out of the parking lot. As she turned the corner, he caught a glimpse of her face which was soaked in tear.


	6. Chapter 6

**Thanks for the review Invader Johnny!**

**One week later.**

_In other local news, the trial of Ryder Daniels who was accused of murdering Hollywood arts student Tori Vega ended today after he was found guilty. Ryder was found guilty of first degree murder and has been sentenced to life with no possibility of parole. Vega's parents had no comment for the press._

Jade listened to the news from the television as she stared down at the bowl of soup in front of her. She was only half listening to be honest. She hadn't been back to Hollywood arts since Beck had spoken to her.

She didn't look up as she heard the sound of the diner door opening and closing and she didn't look up as she heard footsteps approaching her table. "Go away." She said quietly as she felt someone sit across from her and heard the sound of a chair being pulled up to the table.

"I said go away." She repeated softly.

"We're worried about you Jade." Beck's voice answered carefully. "You haven't been to school in nearly a week and you haven't been home in nearly a week. Jade, you need to talk to someone."

"Feels like only a few hours for me." Jade muttered. "And I don't want to talk to anyone, please Beck, just leave me alone."

Beck looked at her and couldn't help but notice that Jade's hair was messed up and she was wearing the same outfit she had been wearing when she had beaten the hell out of Ryder when she had found Tori's body. Which meant that she must have changed after she had left the school.

"Jade...please. I brought someone here to talk to you. Even though we're not together anymore I'm still your friend and I can't watch you do this to yourself. I'm scared for you Jade."

Jade looked up and Beck could see that her make-up was tear stained and her eyes were red and puffy. "I don't care." She whispered. "I just don't care anymore, Beck." She turned and looked over at the person who had pulled up the chair to the side of the table and was slightly surprised to see Cat Valentine looking at her. Jade couldn't help but be a bit surprised at Cat's appearance. Her hair was cut much shorter and her eyes were almost as red and puffy as Jade's.

"I brought Cat to talk to you. I think she can help you with what all those confused feelings you have." Beck said quietly as Cat looked over at Jade and took a deep breath. Beck placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. "It's okay." He said quietly. "Remember how Tori helped you?"

Cat nodded.

"I think the only way we can help Jade is to try and get her to come to terms with what she's feeling. She needs help Cat. Help only I think you can give her."

_What, Beck thinks he knows me? He thinks he knows what I'm feeling? He thinks Cat Valentine of all people can help me? _Jade thought bitterly as she turned to look back down at her soup which she noticed was nearly ice cold now.

"Jade, It's only fair that I help you. I know why it never felt right when you were with Beck because I went through the same thing." She said quietly. "When I tried dating guys it never felt right. I...It made me feel uncomfortable." She said softly as she thought back to her previous relationships. "But Tori helped me when I was alone and scared after I told my dad that...that...I...liked girls." She said quietly. "She took me in and got my mom over and helped me talk to her."

Jade looked at Cat with a shocked expression. "You..uh...You like girls?" Jade asked carefully. She didn't want to hurt Cat's feelings but it was kind of a shock to Jade. Cat looked down and nodded slowly. "Y-Yeah. Tori told me that it was okay...that we don't choose who we fall in love with." Cat said softly.

"And why are you telling me this?" Jade asked quietly although she suspected that she already knew what she and Beck were about to say. Cat looked up at her and tried to get the words out. She wanted to try and help Jade but she suspected that this might be difficult for Jade to hear after everything that had happened between Tori and Jade.

Cat tried to move her chair back a bit but Jade grabbed onto her wrist so she couldn't back away. "Go ahead Cat. Enlighten me." She said in the soft dangerous tone she had used on Ryder. Cat's eyes widened in fear as she tried to get away.

"J-Jade, please don't hurt me." She whimpered as Beck tried to pull Jade's hand off of Cat's wrist but Jade's grip was as strong as steel. "TELL ME!" Jade screamed at Cat who using her other hand to try and desperately get out of Jade's grip.

"Stop it Jade!" Beck shouted as Cat continued trying to get away from Jade until finally Jade was face to face with Cat. "TELL ME WHAT I'M SUPPOSED TO FEEL!" She screamed over and over as cooks and the few other occupants of the diner stared over at them.

"I think you liked Tori." Cat whispered in utter fear. "A-And I think you can't stop being mad at yourself and everyone around you because you know that on some level you did like her the same way she liked you."

Jade let go of her wrist and stared at her in shock before slamming her fists down on the table. "I...I can't..." She muttered. Although right now all she wanted to do was scream and yell at Cat and Beck, she knew that on some level, Cat had hit the nail right on the head. "I...I...I...don't know."

Beck was staring at the two girls. In his opinion, Cat had gotten it right but Jade was simply staring down at Cat with a look of terror. He was worried about her, the terror in her eyes was something he hadn't seen before. He'd seen anger, despair and fear although he hadn't seen much of the last one but terror was a new one.

"Jade, I know it's a lot to take in but you needed to hear the truth." Beck said gently. "Please, just let us help you. We want to help you."

Jade began sobbing heavily. The tears were running freely down her face and the terror was being replaced by despair and anger and a dawning realization. She whispered something that Beck didn't catch. "Jade, please sit down, just take a minute and take a breath.

Jade whispered whatever she had said over and over again. They couldn't hear most of what she was saying but they kept hearing the word 'Tori' over and over again. She was just standing there repeating herself as she continued sobbing.

"Jade, you need t-," Beck tried to speak but Jade finally seemed to regain her voice for a brief moment as they finally were able to hear what she was whispering

.  
>"I...I can never be with Tori. She's gone forever." She sobbed hoarsely as her voice began to rise. "I can never be with her. I can never even try! I can't ever apologize for saying the things I said to her!" She cried as she turned around and headed for the door.<p>

"Jade, please sit down." Beck said gently as he reached for her arm, the moment he touched her arm she whirled around and slapped his hand away. "DON'T TOUCH ME!" She screamed hoarsely in his face as she ran out the door and towards her car.

"Jade, stop!" Beck shouted as she turned the keys and the car started as he and Cat ran outside. He could only watch as her car tore out of the parking lot.


	7. Chapter 7

**Thanks for out to ScottyBgood, Invader Johnny, Takogirl, Dav7788 and Valley-10 for reviewing the previous chapters!**

**One Year Later**

"It's still hard to believe that she's gone." Cat said quietly as she and the rest of Tori's friends stood around the grave, each one of them holding a flower. It had been exactly a year today that Tori had been buried and her friends were still having trouble accepting her death. Cat had entered a deep depression that she was still struggling with, Andre had lost the inspiration and drive to work on new songs, Robbie hadn't been able to deal with the guilt he was feeling and had transferred to a different school and was still suffering from serious depression and Beck had just about given up on his acting dreams.

But despite all that they were going through they wouldn't miss this for the world. Robbie looked over at Cat. He still tried to keep in contact with everyone but it was getting difficult as he sank deeper and deeper into his depression.

"I figured Jade would be here." Robbie said quietly as Beck looked over at him. "We haven't seen Jade in over a year. She just left the last time we tried to talk to her." Beck looked down at the ground in shame. "I feel like it was my fault she left," He muttered as he remembered the day in the diner last year. Jade had left in tears and although Beck had tried desperately to find her she was excellent at staying hidden when she didn't want to be found.

"I wish she hadn't died." Cat whispered. "I just wish we'd know what Ryder was going to do, I wish someone had stopped him on his way to her house, or if someone had been with Tori when he was there. Anything...I just wish someone could have helped her when she needed it, like the way she always helped us when we needed it."

"Well, she died." Robbie said quietly. "We can't change that. Crying about it won't help." Cat looked at him in disgust. She couldn't get her head around how cold he was now. "Nice, Robbie." She muttered. "Real nice. I can't believe you!"

Robbie looked over and Cat shuddered as she saw the lack of emotion in his eyes. They just looked blank and cold. "It doesn't matter." He said quietly as he placed his flower down on Tori's grave and walked away without looking back.

Beck looked over at Cat. He knew that Cat still tried to help out Tori's family and occasionally visited with them. "How's Trina doing?" He asked gently. Trina hadn't been at Hollywood arts since Tori had died. She had seemingly lost her grip on reality two weeks after the funeral and shortly after that had gone into a catatonic state.

"Not well." Cat said as she looked down at the ground. "She's been in the hospital for a really long time now and her Dad told me they don't think that she'll wake up. They think they might have...have to let her go." She said quietly as she looked back up at Beck. "I wish Tori could have known how much she all meant to us, how much we would all miss her..." Cat muttered. Beck couldn't help but notice that she had a bruise on her arm.

"Cat, what happened to your arm?"

"Nothing!" Cat said quickly as she tried to cover the bruise only to have Beck grab her hand before she could cover it. As Beck took a closer look, he saw more bruises, some were faded but others were more recent.

"Who did this to you, Cat?" Beck asked in a tone that resembled the tone used by Jade when she was pissed at someone. Cat tried to get away but couldn't. "Please...just let it go Beck. She didn't mean to hurt me."

"Then what did she mean to do?!" Beck demanded as he examined her arm a bit closer and saw even more bruises. "Cat, what are doing with someone who beats you?!"

"I don't know!" Cat shouted and Beck let go of her arm in shock and stepped back at the tone of despair and anger in her voice. "I...I just wanted someone to..." She started crying as Beck carefully stepped forward and gently hugged her. Cat almost collapsed as she sobbed heavily.

"Cat, you need to get away from her." Beck said quietly "How long has this been going on?" He asked as he gently patted her back. "Almost five moths." Cat sobbed heavily. "She...She was nice at first and then she started getting mad and then...then..." Cat couldn't finish as she continued crying.

"It's going to be okay." He said gently as he gently placed his flower on Tori's grave. "Cat, why don't you put your flower down and we'll go talk to someone. We need to get you help."

Cat nodded and placed her flower down on the grave and wiped her eyes with the back of her hand. "I..I don't know what to do Beck." She said quietly. "I don't know how to get away from her without hurting her."

"Don't worry about hurting her." Beck said angrily. "She's been hitting you, she doesn't deserve any sympathy from you. Come on, we need to go and talk to someone who can help you." He said as he led her away from the grave. He looked back once and saw Andre still staring down at the grave.

That left Andre alone.

"I miss you Tori." He said quietly. "I miss you everyday. I don't know if you ever knew this, but you were the one who kept us all together when things got bad. And things have been falling apart since you died. I...I just wish you were still here." He said as he wiped away a tear and placed the last flower on her grave before turning and walking away.

A few moments after everyone had left, a woman wearing all black took a careful look around to make sure she was alone before walking out and stopping in front of the grave. She took a deep breath and tried to speak but couldn't. She took another deep breath and this time was able to get her voice back.

"Hey Tori...It's been a long time." Jade said quietly as she looked down at the grave and smiled sadly. "I...I really miss you." She said quietly. "After Cat and Beck made me confront myself...it made me realize something."

She hesitated for a moment as she tried to get the words out right.

"I...I really like you, Tori. And I know it's stupid to talk to someone who isn't there but I can't stop thinking about you. Even though you've been gone for a long time I can't get you out of my head. I keep thinking about you when I'm awake and I dream about you when I sleep. I can't deal with this anymore, with not being able to be with you. I'm going to see you again...even if there's only one way to do it."

She sat down next to the gravestone and reached into her pocket. Her hands were shaking and she was tearing up as she pulled a small but very sharp knife out of her pocket.

"I'm sorry." She whispered to the empty sky as she placed the blade across her other wrist and closed her eyes as she prepared to end it all.

"I'll see you soon..." She whispered to herself.

The blade was about to be pulled across her wrist when a sudden commanding voice rang out from behind her.

"_Stop!"_

**Shorter **somewhat** darker chapter but I'm hoping everyone likes it. Next up, the revelation!**


	8. Chapter 8

**Thanks to Invader Johnny, ScottyBgood, Valley-10, Jorilover95, Chase19 and Takogirl for the reviews of the previous chapter! And I'm sorry that this one is a little bit late. I was away from my computer for a bit and just got back to it. I might re-write this chapter depending on what people think of it.**

"_Stop!"_

Jade looked down at the blade that was now pressed against her wrist. "Go away." She said softly without turning around to face the owner of the unknown voice. "I don't care if I live anymore, I just want to see Tori again."

Jade took another deep breath and tried gather the resolve to do what she had planned to do when she felt a hand gently place itself on her shoulder but she still didn't turn around. "Jade, you don't need to do this. Imagine what would happen if the people who love and cared for you found you dead? Have you imagined the impact it would have on their lives?"

Jade finally looked up and finally got a look at the mysterious figure who had stopped her from what she was determined to do. The figure was covered in a robe that was pure white and had a hood that covered the figure's face.

She looked back down at the knife in her hand and noticed her hand was shaking slightly. She hadn't really thought of what her death would to the others but she easily dismissed the thought and her grip on the knife became steady again. As far as she was concerned, she had driven away all of her friends nearly a year ago. She didn't have any friends left to hurt.

"I don't have any friends." Jade muttered. "I kept telling them to leave me alone and they finally did." She said as she thought back to the last time she had talked to Beck and Cat which had been in the diner. She hadn't even tried to get in contact with Robbie of Andre after Tori had died.

"Jade, I understand that things have been difficult for you since Tori died, but you need to realize something: You still have friends and if you do this, it will hurt them as badly as Tori's death hurt you."

"Somehow I doubt that." Jade muttered.

"If you won't listen to reason, then it appears I have no other choice." The figure said quietly as Jade felt the comforting hand leave her shoulder. She kept looking down at the knife even as the figure stepped in front of her and placed it's hand on her head.

"Are you gonna hurt me?" Jade asked quietly as she closed her eyes and waited for the end.

"No. I'm going to show you what consequences will occur if you go through with what you have planned." The figure said quietly and for a brief second Jade thought she heard the figure's voice seem to change for a moment. It sounded familiar but she couldn't place it.

The figure stood completely still for a moment and then moved to the side and what appeared to be a whirling vortex of light appeared in front of Jade. "This is what will happen if you choose to end your life. These are the consequences."

_Jade watched through the swirling vortex of energy and saw images that caused her eyes to widen in shock and horror._

_Cat Valentine standing over her grave with a bottle of painkillers in her hand. Jade could only watch through the portal as Cat took a large handful of the painkillers and sat down next to a nearby tree and simply waited for the end. Jade saw that there was no hope in her eyes, nothing remained that had made her the unique person she had been._

_Beck weeping openly as he looked down at Jade's grave. "I'm sorry Jade," he whispered. "I should have kept my eye on you. I should have never let you go when you were as angry as you were back at the diner. I failed you as a friend and I failed the others."_

_Robbie sitting in a windowless room staring blankly ahead at a wall. A security camera in the room kept a constant watch on him least he harm himself. Robbie eats and drinks but doesn't do much else other then that. He just stares at the wall as his mind continues trying to process what has happened but never does._

_Andre turns the key into the lock and opens the door to his small two room apartment as he returns from his shift at an electronics store. Pictures of his friends are on the nightstand next to his bed and he shakes his head sadly as he tries to put aside the feelings of grief and anger that he feels. His room is devoid of the music that once brought him so much joy._

Jade closed her eyes as tears began to run down her face as the figure sat down next to her and placed a hand on her shoulder. "You had more of an effect on the people around you then you thought." The figure said gently. "I'm sorry if what you saw upset you but you needed to know what would happen if you chose to take your own life."

Jade shook her head. "I...I can't." She whispered. "I can't keep on going. I miss Tori so much. I just can't live without her. It just hurts too much." She said quietly as her gaze returned to the knife in her hands which were shaking violently.

The figure's hand gently went down to the knife and gently pulled on the blade until Jade let go of the handle and the figure placed the knife on the ground. "I've always tried to help you, Jade. That's what angels do. I know that you and your father haven't really gotten along since you lost your mother when you were little and it's been even worse for you since Tori died."

Jade looked over at the figure and shook her head. "How do you know so much about me?" She asked quietly. The figure's hand reached over and took Jade's hand. "I've watched over you for a very long time. You needed someone to watch over you in case it came to this."

Jade looked over. "I...I just don't have the strength to keep going. Eventually I'm going to lose it and I'm going to end up alienating and hurting more people. I just...I just wish I could have helped Tori when she needed it. Maybe everyone's lives wouldn't be so messed up if she had survived."

She took a deep breath reached for the knife again. "Maybe my life wouldn't be so messed up." She whispered.

The figure looked at her and smiled from under the hood.

"Wish granted." The figure whispered as a hand was placed on Jade's head. Jade looked up in confusion as a white light seemed to form around her. She looked at the figure as she began to panic. "What're you doing?!"

"Giving you a second chance." The figure said quietly as Jade vanished as the light faded.


	9. Chapter 9

**Thanks go out to Dave7788, Invader Johnny, Jorilover95, ScottyBgood, Valley-10, Chase19, Takogirl and kelton89 for the reviews of the previous chapter! This next chapter is the one I've bee looking forward to writing since I started this story.**

Jade West was in a pretty foul mood as she opened the door to her car and slid into the driver's seat. It was almost time for school to start over at Hollywood arts and she was already running late since her alarm clock hadn't gone off for some reason. She muttered under her breath as she turned the keys and the car started up. She had just reached the edge of the driveway when she saw a quick series of movements behind her, before she knew what had happened there was a hand covering her mouth.

"Don't scream." A very familiar voice whispered in her ear. "Before I take my hand off your mouth you need to promise me you won't scream and give me a chance to explain myself. Understand?"

Jade nodded although at that moment she was wondering who would be stupid enough to screw with her like this. Whoever it was was going to regret it. Whoever it was removed their hand and Jade whirled around and prepared to knock out whoever it was. The urge to knock whoever it was out vanished almost immediately as she got a look at the figure and her eyes widened in shock.

"Like looking into a mirror isn't it?" The elder Jade asked with a smirk. "Listen, you need to get to Tori's house as fast as you can."

"Why would I go to Vega's house?" The younger Jade asked carefully, she was still slightly in shock at seeing what looked like a slightly older version of herself. "She's probably already at school."

"No. She isn't." The older Jade said quietly. "Listen to me _very_ carefully, Today is the day she dies. Ryder attacks her after Trina leaves her alone at the house. He leaves her broken and beaten...he does horrible things to her and leaves her alone to die."

Jade shook her head. "Somehow I doubt that. Ryder may be an idiot but even he wouldn't try something that could get him in that much trouble. Nice try...whoever you are."

Jade suddenly found herself with her head pressed against the steering wheel as her older-self locked her arm behind her back and pressed forward as she spoke in the soft and dangerous tone of voice that only those who had really made her angry experienced. Jade had to admit, it sounded identical to her own voice when she used that tone. "Listen to me. She _dies_ today. You see her laying on the ground with a piece of glass sticking out of her chest. You listen to her last words and they shatter your heart into a million pieces. Can you guess what her last words are?"

Jade shook her head as best she could with her head pressed against the steering wheel.

"She said she always thought I was really pretty." The older Jade said softly as she let up her grip on the steering wheel and allowed Jade to sit back up. "And if you need more proof, I can tell you why you broke up with Beck."

The younger Jade narrowed her eyes and stared at her older-self.

"You broke up with Beck because it didn't feel right. It never felt right didn't it? Every date...every kiss...none of it felt right. And I can tell you why it never felt right."

The older Jade leaned forward until she was nose to nose with her younger-self. "Because you...I mean _we _don't like guys. It took me a long time to accept the fact that I liked girls but once I did I felt a little bit better and after that I felt horrible. Not because I was ashamed of what I was, but because I was so cruel to the person that always liked me no matter how mean I was to her."

The younger Jade listened and thought for a brief moment on what she had heard. This woman who resembled her so closely and knew so much about her and the feelings that had resulted in Jade ending her relationship with Beck wasn't wrong. She was dead on right about why she had ended the relationship.

"How could you know all this?" She asked hoarsely even though she had a good idea of what was going on. The elder Jade looked down at her. "A year's time after Tori's death, everything in your life and the lives of your friends has pretty gone downhill. You leave home and have given up on your dreams, Cat is with someone who beats her all the time because she doesn't know how to end the relationship. Robbie is stuck in a deep depression that he can't get out of and Andre has pretty much given up on music altogether."

"What about Beck?"

The older Jade closed her eyes for a moment, what she was trying to say was difficult to say. "Beck...Beck tried to keep us all together. He did his best to try and help us cope with Tori's death but we eventually all fell apart in some way or another. He tried to help me come to terms with my feelings after Tori's death but I pushed him and the others away. He's still trying to help everyone but he has his own problems that he's not dealing with and those problems are taking a heavy toll on him."

The younger Jade looked down for a moment as she tried to wrap her mind around what had apparently happened in the future. "How did you get back here?" She asked quietly. "I don't understand how you could have come back here."

The older Jade simply looked up. "I honestly don't know. I guess the best thing to call it was divine intervention. I was sitting next to Tori's grave...I had a knife pressed to my wrist and I was ready to end it. I just couldn't deal with the pain and the guilt anymore when a figure dressed in white tried to talk me out of it, It almost worked but I was determined to end it. Whoever or whatever it was touched me on the top of the head and there was a bright flash of light and I ended up a few blocks away from our house a few hours ago. I hid in your car and waited for you and here we are."

"I was given a chance to try and save her, to change the future to make everything better." The older Jade said softly. "We can save her. We can change the future and give everyone a brighter future, We can do something for the girl who was always kind to us no matter how badly we treated her. We owe her this!"

Jade looked down at the steering wheel and thought to herself for a brief moment. She looked back at her older-self and let a smirk that was tinged with worry appear on her face. "Anything else I should know before we get going?" She asked.

"Just be careful." The older Jade said quietly. "I don't want to see Tori hurt. At all. I already saw her die once and it nearly killed me. I honestly think if I see it again it will actually kill me. We have to save her, at all costs."

Jade grinned and pulled out of the driveway and sped towards Tori Vega's home as fast as she could. The older Jade was gripping the seat tightly as she prayed to whoever was listening that they weren't going to be too late.

Finally, they arrived in the driveway and both Jades looked at the door in horror as they saw it was wide open. The younger Jade opened the door and ran towards the open door and saw Ryder had Tori backed back into a corner with a sharp piece of glass in her hands.

"GET AWAY FROM HER!" The younger Jade screamed as she launched herself at Ryder.


	10. Chapter 10

**Thanks go out to Invader Johnny, ScottyBgood, Valley-10, Takogirl, Kelton89, Chase19 and Beuty6 for the reviews! I apologize for the delay but a few things came up again. **

"_Get away from her!"_

Ryder turned away from Tori for a moment as he heard the sound of running feet coming at him. His face was a mix of rage and confusion as he got a glimpse of Jade's fist about to collide with his face. He let out a shout of pain as he nearly fell over from the impact but he managed to catch himself on the counter.

"You shouldn't have come here, West." Ryder snarled as he straightened himself. "This is between me and the Dyke." He said as he heard the sound of footsteps running away from him. He turned and saw that Tori was trying to put some distance between Ryder and herself. Her face and her arms were bruised and she had a few cuts on her face. Ryder turned away and didn't notice the fact that she was reaching for something in one of the drawers.

"You made a big mistake messing with her in the first place." Jade said quietly as she saw that she had a cut on her hand from where she had hit Ryder. He was apparently tougher then he looked. Ryder and Jade began to circle each other as Ryder held the glass shard in his hand as he looked for an opening. Jade smiled. It looked like he thought he had an actual chance of getting her with the glass shard.

Jade's eyes locked onto Ryder as he swiped at her with the glass shard and Jade jumped back as she narrowly avoided the sharp object. "What's the matter?" She asked mockingly as Ryder narrowed his eyes at her. "Getting a bit slow?"

Ryder was about to respond when a loud thudding sound rang through the room and Ryder's eyes rolled up into the back of his skull. Jade grinned widely as she saw Tori standing behind him with a frying pan in her hand as Ryder collapsed on the floor in a heap.

"Nice hit." Jade said simply as she checked to make sure that he was really down for the count before turning to look at Tori. Tori was shaking violently from the encounter and her eyes were filled with fear. "It's okay...You got him, He won't be able to hurt you." She said quietly as she hesitantly approached Tori who was staring down at Ryder's prone form.

"H-He said he was going to kill me." Tori whispered hoarsely. "He told me I screwed up his life and he was going to k-kill me." She whispered again as the frying pan dropped from her hands and hit the floor.

Jade gently grabbed Tori by the shoulders and examined the extent of the bruises and cuts she had. It looked like they weren't too bad. "Tori, how badly did he hurt you?" Jade asked quietly as she continued looking her over. "Did he..."

"N-No...I think he was going to though." Tori hesitantly whispered as tears started to roll down her face as she started sobbing heavily. "I can't believe that...that he was going to-," She started but broke down as she continued sobbing

"He won't hurt you. Not now. Not ever." A very familiar voice said from behind Jade and Tori and Jade smiled as she turned around and saw her older-self standing behind her.

"It's about time you showed up." Jade said simply as her older-self looked at the out cold Ryder and the wide-eyed Tori who was staring at the older Jade with a shocked expression. The elder Jade smiled slightly as she looked down at the out-cold Ryder.

"She saved you..." She said as her gaze turned towards Tori and smiled a gentle smile that was almost never seen on Jade West's face as she slowly walked over and cupped Tori's face and tears started to fall from her eyes. "I honestly thought we might not make it in time." She said softly. "But we made it."

Tori turned to look at the younger Jade and tried to form words but they wouldn't form, but Jade could tell that she was confused by the look in her eyes.

The older Jade smiled sadly. "I'm her. From about a year from now." She said quietly as the tears continued to fall. "Where I'm from, I didn't get here until it was too late. I...I watched you die. I heard the last words you spoke."

Tori looked down at the ground for a moment as the realization of what was happening set in: Jade West had saved her life. If it weren't for her, she would have most likely been laying dead on the ground right now. "W-What did I say...at the end?" Tori asked quietly.

Jade pressed her head against Tori's even as the tears continued falling.

"You said you thought I really pretty." The older Jade whispered sadly. "I thought that it was impossible that you could feel that way about me after all that I put you through. My life nearly fell apart that day. Nobody could cope with what happened."

Tori looked up into the future Jade's face. "How...How did you get back here?" She asked quietly. "I mean, I appreciate what you did, but did you come back?"

The older Jade looked up at the ceiling and seemed to be looking past the ceiling and into the sky. "Someone sent me back. I don't know who it was, but I thought it was going to be the end for me. I was sitting next to your grave and I had a knife pressed to my wrist when...well...this figure in white appeared and showed me what would happen if I took my own life. I...I couldn't deal with it so I was ready to end it when I was sent back."

"My death...hurt you that badly?" Tori whispered.

The older Jade nodded. "Yeah...it hit us all really hard. Beck tried to keep everyone together but I kept pushing him away over and over again. I just couldn't deal with it and I kept getting worse and worse."

"But you know what I always regretted?" The older Jade asked slowly as Tori looked up at her and smiled sadly. "This." She said quietly as she gently pressed her lips against Tori's for a brief moment. Tori's eyes widened in shock but they slowly closed and the older Jade pulled away after a moment. The younger Jade couldn't help but feel jealously rise up in her chest as Tori looked over at the younger Jade and smiled weakly.

"Please...Tori, give her a chance." The older Jade said quietly as a white light seemed to fill the room. "You saw a new side of me today and I hope that you'll continue to see it." The older Jade looked at her younger-self and smiled.

"And you, give Tori a chance. Don't try and scare her off just because yo-...I mean, _we _get a little insecure sometimes."

"_It's time to go Jade."_ A gentle voice seemed to echo around the room, seemingly coming from everywhere. _"It's time to see what the future holds for you."_

The older Jade smiled for a moment as the white light seemed to envelope her and she vanished. Tori and Jade looked at each other and Jade gently reached for Tori's hand.

"You ready for this?" She asked carefully.

Tori smiled slightly. "I...Yeah. I think I am." She said softly as they looked at the spot she had vanished from.


	11. Chapter 11

**Thanks go out to ScottyBgood, Invader Johnny, Valley-10, RachelBarbraBerry and Takogirl for reviewing the previous chapter! And I'm sorry that this chapter is so late, been having a rough time along with computer and health problems lately so updates will most likely be slow for awhile.**

**Most of the upcoming updates are most likely going to be set in the past, focusing on the beginning of the relationship between Tori and Jade and how it will further evolve.**

_You did it._

Jade smiled as she slowly opened her eyes as she realized a few things. First off, she was laying down on a surprisingly comfortable bed, the second thing she noticed was that there was someone sitting on the side of the bed next to her.

"W-Where am I?" She asked slowly as she sat up and saw the mysterious figure from earlier looking down at her. The figure's hood was still up but Jade did manage to catch a glimpse of a smile. "You did it." The figure said gently. "You managed to save Tori. And in doing so you managed to change the future for both yourself and your friends."

Jade looked around the room she was in and noticed a few things that were slightly confusing. It obviously wasn't her room since there were a few brightly covered paintings and pictures of unfamiliar people. Jade's eyes widened a moment later as her gaze fell on a picture of herself and Tori laughing together with Tori's arm around her shoulder

_Tori's room. I'm in Tori's room._

"How did I get here?" Jade asked softly as she looked over at the figure and narrowed her eyes for a moment in confusion. "And I should have asked this a while ago, but who exactly are you?"

The figure paused for a moment and smiled softly under her hood. "This is where you always would have ended up if Ryder hadn't ended Tori's life. I brought you here once you saved her. As for who I am..."

The figure pulled back her hood and smiled gently at Jade's utterly shocked expression. "Don't be afraid, this isn't a trick. Once I saw what you were going through, what you were planning to do, I had to help you somehow."

"Mom." Jade whispered hoarsely as her eyes began to fill with tears as her mother gently placed her hands on her shoulder and held her close. Jade's mother smiled again at the look on Jade's face and she patted her on the back. "I couldn't leave my little girl alone when she needed me most." She said softly. "I don't have a lot of time left with you, Jade but I'd like to say something before I have to go: Don't let Tori go, I can tell that you really like her and from what I've seen of this worlds, she really likes you. You may have your fights and arguments but don't let them ruin your relationship with her. Always treasure the time you have with her."

Jade looked up as her mother began to glow slightly and she sadly looked up at her as she pulled away from her. "I have to go now. Remember what I said and know that your mother will always love you." She said softly as she seemed to fade away.

"Bye...Mom." Jade whispered as she heard footsteps outside the door of Tori's room and looked up to see Tori Vega herself enter the room with a smile on her face. Tori walked over to Jade and softly kissed her on the top of her head and sat down next to her. "Something wrong, Jade?" Tori asked teasingly. "I figured you might be a bit hungry after last night." She winked at Jade. "I know that I am, C'mon, breakfast is waiting downstairs."

Jade could feel a few tears beginning to form and tried to wipe them away. Tori noticed immediately and pulled Jade into a hug. "What's wrong?"She asked softly as Jade rested her head on Tori's shoulder. "Nothing...Nothing's wrong. I...I'm just really glad that I'm with you." She said softly as Tori continued to gently hold her even though she was a bit confused by Jade's sudden tears.

"And I'm glad that I'm with you." Tori said softly as she placed another kiss on Jade's forehead and smiled gently. "We have school in less then forty minutes. Let's go get some breakfast and we can get going."

Jade smiled weakly and got to her feet as Tori got up and softly kissed Jade on the lips with a smile. "I'm surprised that you woke up when you did. You kept me pretty busy last night." She said with a wink as she turned and headed out the door. Jade was puzzled by what she meant for a brief moment until she suddenly realized what she was saying and her face turned red for a moment as new memories began to appear in her head, including what Tori was apparently capable of in the bedroom.

_Wow...she's good. _Jade thought as a large smile appeared on her face as she headed out the door with a smile on her face as she went down the stairs and saw some plates loaded with bacon and eggs sitting on the table. She heard the sound of someone else coming down the stairs and turned around and saw Trina Vega walking down the stairs with a small frown on her face.

"You guys really need to keep it down." Trina grumbled as she sat down at the table and grabbed a fork. "I barely got any sleep with all the noises you two were making. You are so lucky mom and dad are out of town for the week."

Tori smiled and winked at Jade before looking over at Trina. "Sure, Trina." She said innocently. "By the way, the phone rang while you were in the shower, some guy was asking for you. He said he wanted to meet you after school around four thirty in the gym. He said he heard you singing and wanted to talk to you about some sort of deal." Tori said innocently.

Trina looked up sharply, grabbed her book bag and ran out the door with a cheer and Tori looked over at Jade and smiled.

Jade grinned back. "There's not going to be anyone waiting for her after school is there?"

"Nope."

"You wanted us to have the house to ourselves after school didn't you?"

Tori smiled innocently as Jade walked over and softly kissed her on the lips.

"I like the way you think." Jade whispered.


End file.
